Aw, fuck. During the Heat-Celtics game on ABC, Doris Burke reported that Rajon Rondo, the heart and soul of an already struggling Boston team, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Rondo played 45 minutes and had a triple-double during the Celtics' Friday night game against the Hawks. In his absence today, the Celtics started Courtney Lee and slid Avery Bradley to the point.

It seems like every year there's a prominent player whose ghost haunts the NBA season; Derrick Rose is on his way back, so the already spectral Rondo will apparently take his place. He will leave a large and uniquely shaped hole in the NBA while he's gone. Grieving Celtics fans can take comfort in the fact that every other NBA fan mourns with you; Rondo is not only a pleasure to watch, but the only thing make this year's Celtics palatable.

As the teams went into the fourth quarter, Doc Rivers told Doris Burke that the rest of the Celtics have yet to apprised of the news, so you can watch the rest of this one with the rare knowledge that you know something that the players on the court don't. It's kind of poignant.